Bob and Terri Grussing

Mom and Dad; Owners

Bob and Terri both hail from Vermont where maple syrup is king and the mountain sides are more often employed as ski slopes than as vineyards. Bob’s corporate career spans +30 years working for General Electric, Mack Trucks, Volvo, SPX and A.O. Smith. Having traveled the globe on business, Bob has tasted some of the finest food and wine the world has to offer. Terri has skillfully split her time between raising the couple’s three children and a career in retail women’s fashions. They have called Nashville home for the past 10 years. Although relative newcomers to the business of fine wine and spirits, both Bob and Terri bring to The Wine Shoppe at Green Hills an entrepreneurial spirit, passion for exceptional customer service and the business acumen necessary to lead a successful family business.

Katie Grussing

La Grande Dame

Katie, raised in Nashville, was geographically destined to become an Avid Beverage Enthusiast. Katie brings her background in bar-tending to the collective experience of our staff and as such she excels at finding the right beverage for your event or occasion. With her eclectic palate, Katie certainly appreciates the broad selection that The Shoppe offers, but its clear her heart lies Burgundy and Champagne. Don’t be surprised if you leave with a stunning bottle from one of her favorite producers after stopping to chat with her!

Sam Bales

Humorist

Sam Bales is a Nashville native who has just returned from a several-year walkabout in The Three Other States, NY, TX, and CA. She came to wine through her devotion to food and coffee and was hooked permanently by an especially good pairing of tomato salad with pinot gris at The Yellow Porch about ten years ago. She believes in value above prestige always and that tasting and pairing are sublimely sensual experiences in which rules are meant to be broken. She has completed her CSW and FWS and is now deeply immersed in the study of Burgundy because it is the wine she finds most challenging. Sam reads voraciously and is usually chewing. When not at the Wine Shoppe, she also cooks and writes for money and then returns to the Shoppe to spend it all.

Erika Zapecza

Wine Mantra Keeper

Erika’s career in wine began in the Finger Lakes Wine Country, where she worked in marketing for one of the region’s most iconic vineyards and winery. During her time in the Finger Lakes, Erika received her WSET Level 1 certification from the New York Wine and Culinary Center. She also learned a great deal about harvest and agriculture by watching the sunrise over Seneca Lake while hand-picking grapes and riding shotgun in the harvester. After spending time living abroad in Australia, she holds a special place in her heart for Australian Rieslings and New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs. Erika is excited to be at the Wine Shoppe and looks forward to expanding her knowledge of our eclectic boutique portfolio. If you ask her for a recommendation, she’s likely to share her mantra with you, “Start the day with a smile and finish it with Champagne!”